My first Hendrix record wasn't an album, it was this 4 track EP. I was in Australia and the top songs of 1967 were things like Englebert Humperdinck's 'Last Waltz', Tom Jones and his 'Green Green Grass of Home' and the Seekers 'Georgy Girl'. Then I found this. A mini masterpiece. Look at the first 3 out of 4 tracks ..
'The Wind Cries Mary'
'Purple Haze'
'Hey Joe'
.. then look closely at the last track and you have to love the typo on the cover ..
'51st Anniverary'. Priceless.
It was a game-changer, a life-changer. Obviously there was other music around, not just the middle of the road stuff I mentioned above. I've reviewed some of it already. Cream's 'Disraeli Gears', The Moody Blues 'Days of Future Passed', even 'Sgt. Pepper' came out the same year. All groundbreaking but nothing was like Jimi.
Just looking at those first 4 tracks gives a perfect introduction to Jimi's work. Three are his original compositions, one is a song from the early 60's done by others previously.
Here's my interpretation of my first Jimi 'Experience' (see what I did there).
'The Wind Cries Mary' was said to have been written after an argument with his then girlfriend Kathy Etchinham, using her middle name 'Mary'.
(Remember how your Mum always used your full name when you were in trouble!)
The verses build a picture as the punch line changes each time to be more and more frantic and urgent .. The wind 'whispers' Mary .. then 'cries' .. then 'screams' and finally the lyrics resolve themselves and the wind again 'cries'.
'Purple Haze'. OK, before we get any further let's address the elephant in the room. Jimi, as we all know, did NOT write "S'cuse me while I kiss this guy", but it remains one of the favourite mondegreens of all time. Having said that, it is quoted on record that Jimi sometimes did substitute the words for 'kiss this guy' and other things during live performances, probably parodying the common mistakes made by others.
The track begins. That throbbing unmistakable opening - throwing you off-centre, then after two measures the distorted edgy riff that can only be Hendrix - then the vocal ..
"Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky"
Is it any wonder this has always been generally thought of as a drug-induced song although most people who knew him denied that, mainly presenting it as some form of love song.
'Hey Joe' is the cover track on the EP, a song credited to Billy Roberts in the early 60's. A couple of groups recorded it, The Leaves did it in '65 and '66, very fast, very 'garage' style. Then also in '66 The Standells did their version, again, faster, with an intro that reminded me of 'Little Girl' by Syndicate of Sound (recorded with a changed title by The Divinyls as 'Hey Little Boy'.)
Jimi's version of 'Hey Joe' is slower, moodier, certainly more intimidating. An underlying talking bluesiness and lyric improv, Jimi takes this song to a place it was meant to be. The previous songs were 'pop' and meant for prime time. Jimi sang from somewhere darker and his guitar work just increased the tension.
'51st Anniversary' is a reverse breakdown of commitment. Starting out with a couple married for 50 years looking forward to 51, Jimi works backwards looking at other couples at other stages - 30 years, 20, 10, 3 and finally a 17 year old just having fun. Perversely, the shorter relationships show more cracks than the 51st anniversary of the title.
In between Jimi softens his voice and sings 'So you, you say you wanna be married' and then hits the listener with the kids and the adulterous lover in those 10 and 3 year marriages. Harsh.
Let me say again, these are my words. This is how these songs came across to me. The beauty of music is that it's personal. I don't know how they make you feel.
One of Jimi's other most famous covers is of course Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" released in 1968 from his 'Electric Ladyland' album. Dylan is quoted as saying that after hearing Jimi's version he realised that's how it always should have been done.
A year earlier Jimi was performing at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and did a 'Jimi' rendition of Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone'.
I hate to put it this way, but Jimi never thought much of himself as a singer, until his one time manager Chas Chandler told him Dylan wasn't a great singer and that boosted his confidence. Reputedly !!
In the early 90's in New Zealand I was getting a lift to work and my friend, a Jimi Hendrix fan, put on a tape in the car. 'Angel' came on. I knew the song, it was on Rod Stewarts album 'Never a Dull Moment'. What I hadn't realised until that point was that it was a Jimi Hendrix composition, from his album 'The Cry of Love' released posthumously in 1971. Jimi's mother passed away when he was only 16 and the song is said to be about a dream he had of her, coming to him at his own death as an angel and taking him with her.
The 'Cry of Love' album would have been Jimi's fourth studio LP. The songs were in various stages of completion when he died. Jimi had plans for a double album but it was eventually just 10 tracks. There is still an argument as to whether this is classed as a true studio album or a compilation, because so many of the tracks were completed without Jimi's input there is no way of knowing what HIS finished album would have been.
Jimi appeared on the original soundtrack to 'Woodstock' from 1969 where he had 3 songs included, 'Voodoo Chile', 'Star Spangled Banner' and 'Purple Haze'.
In 2019 a massive project was completed. From a multitude of sources a 38-disc box set, "Woodstock – Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive" was compiled with almost every performance, crowd noise and stage announcement. I managed to get hold of a copy and Jimi's performance takes up 2 full CD's. The only songs missing from the Hendrix set are 'Mastermind' and 'Gypsy Woman' but these were sung by guitarist Larry Lee.
I've mentioned the '27 Club' before in relation to Janis, Amy, Jim etc., but tragically Jimi is also a member, passing away in 1970.
Hopefully, his Mothers angel was there to guide him through.
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